The following funding opportunities are available to international students:

International students are not eligible for the U.S. government aid programs (i.e., Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Stafford Loan, Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study). Finding financial support often requires a lot of research. Below are a few resources to aid you in this process, as well as an article on money management tips:

ISSS Emergency Financial Grants - Open Now

Every fall and spring semester, ISSS awards limited emergency grant funds for continuing  undergraduate and graduate students in F-1 and J-1 student status with unexpected financial emergencies. Grant amounts vary according to available funds and demonstrated need. With a limited amount of funds, not all applicants will receive a grant. Additional funding cannot be awarded for ongoing financial situations that have previously received ISSS Emergency Grant funding. The grant is not a scholarship to cover tuition.

The CU Boulder Financial Need Emergency Grant
Eligibility for the CU Boulder Financial Need Emergency Grant Award, you must:

  • If an Undergraduate student: Be meeting Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Be in good academic standing with your department
  • Be enrolled in your second year of studies or higher at CU Boulder
  • Be an international student on a temporary non-immigrant visa
    • U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees/asylees, and/or individuals in Temporary Protected Status are not eligible for these awards

Applying for an ISSS Emergency Financial Grant

Application Checklist

Be sure to have all of the required documents ready to upload when you access the application.

Current Funding Information (you will enter this in the ISSS Financial Need Emergency Grant Application)

Completed detailed responses to the Financial Need Questionnaire section, questions are embedded in the DocuSign application.

  • You must clearly explain the unexpected financial difficulty or emergency, the amount of funding you are asking for, details of the unexpected financial circumstance, and how it was beyond your control.

Documentation of Your Financial Need

  • e.g., medical bills; insurance limitation; letters to support you financial need claim

Current Budget—Create your own budget or use the Emergency Grant Budget Form

Completed Substantial Presence Test Questionnaire

Completed W-8BEN

All international students either working at CU Boulder or receiving a stipend or scholarship must schedule an appointment to meet with an International Tax Specialist. Please carefully review the International Tax website on International Student Stipends and Scholarships and the International Tax Guide: Tax Information for International Scholarship and Fellowship (Stipend) Recipients.

Application